Atmospheric Monitoring Applications

Production of aluminum from its ores at aluminum smelters results in carbon dioxide CO2, carbon monoxide CO, sulfur dioxide SO2, and hydrogen fluoride HF gas emissions during the electrolytic process phase to the atmosphere. The gas emissions need to be monitored. Typically the smelters have emission limit values (ELVs) for sulfur dioxide and hydrogen fluoride emissions. These emissions should be measured accurately and with good precision, to ensure the smelter does not exceed its emission limit values. In addition several fluoride compounds may be produced in the electrolytic bath in the event of an oxygen shortage. These compounds include carbon tetrafluoride CF4, hexafluoroethane C2F6, sulfur hexafluoride SF6, and silicon tetrafluoride SiF4. These additional emission components are problematic, as they have high Global Warming Potential (GWP) values. The GWP is a relative measure designed to demonstrate how much heat a greenhouse gas (GHG) traps in the atmosphere. Emission of one kilogram of carbon tetrafluoride into the atmosphere today has the potential of heating the atmosphere as much as 7,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide over the next 100 years.

CODEL`s road tunnel monitors are designed exclusively for road tunnel applications. It offers a family of tunnel sensors that provide all the essential measurements necessary to monitor the tunnel atmosphere.

The anesthetic gases and vapors which leak into the indoor atmosphere during medical procedures are considered waste anesthetic gases (WAGs). The exposure is of relevance to thousands of professionals in hospitals, operating theaters, patient recovery rooms, dental offices, and veterinary clinics around the world, who may be continually exposed to the waste anesthetic gases during their workday. Typical gases of concern include nitrous oxide N2O and several halogenated compounds in vapor form, such as sevoflurane, isoflurane, enflurane, halothane, desflurane, and methoxyflurane. Short-term exposure to these gases may lead to several symptoms, such as dizziness, headaches, fatigue, nausea. Long-term exposure to some of the anesthetic agents may result in sterility, birth defects, cancer, and liver and kidney disease.

Measurement of greenhouse gases released from soil and water surface forms an important part of climate change study. Microbial activity in the soil or for instance the melting of permafrost releases greenhouse gases such as Methane and nitrous oxide N2O into the atmosphere. Measurement of the concentration for these gases inside an open-bottom soil chamber placed on the soil over time tells the emission rate (flux) per chamber footprint area.

Sierra`s scientific instruments division has long been active in areas of life science and health. We are didicated to supporting the visionaries that are at the forefront of our future. Our mass flow controllers in particular see extensive use in bioreactors, pill coating and the creation of artificial atmospheres for research. Our flow meters are used to leak test critical medical devices like stents, while our larger industrial devices are used to heat or steam-clean bioreactors and in facilities management in hospitals.

In the semiconductor manufacturing industry, various perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are used. The emissions of the PFC compounds into the ambient air are reduced by scrubbing of the exhaust gases from the process. In this process, the Gasmet™ FTIR Gas Analyzers can be used to measure the emissions into the atmosphere and also monitor the efficiency of the scrubbers. Typically monitored PFCs in the exhaust gas include carbon tetrafluoride CF4, trifluoromethane CHF3, and hexafluoroethane C2F6.

The Meteorological research community is very ambitious to understand climate changes and global impact on life. With modern advanced measurement equipment, e.g. satellites, remote sensing technologies and sophisticated computer models, multiple meteorological parameters can be analyzed at a large scale at the same time. As the climate system is very complex it is difficult to give accurate predictions of our future climate. We work with climate models, which are based on the consequences of impacts thus far observed. Apart from these impacts additional forcings occur, which make it even harder to give reliable climate predictions. Nevertheless, our present sophisticated climate models enable us to give a characterization of our future climate. For instance, we expect that before the end of this century, the average surface temperature will have increased by 1.4º to 5.8ºC.

Solar Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) represents the direct solar component and contains about 80% of the total solar energy budget on earth. Outside the atmosphere (AM0) the solar irradiance is considdered as a constant (1367 W/m2) that slightly fluctuates with a 11 year cycle. The DNI at the earth surface is highly variable due to the atmospheric conditions (clouds, aerosols, water vapor and molecules).

Where the pyrheliometer is most suitable to quantify the total DNI of the solar spectrum. The spectroradiometer gives details about the energy distribution which is important for PV or CPV cell research. The solar spectrum wil change with the angle of incidence and its path through the atmosphere. Photons wil be reflected, scattered or absorbed. Big absorbers of infrared irradiance are water vapor, carbon dioxide, and ozon.

Extending the shelf-life of perishable foods. Changing the atmosphere inside the packaging the shelf life of many fresh products can be extended. For example, by decreasing the amount of oxygen and increasing the carbon dioxide the shelf life of many fruits may be significantly improved. Using various gas combinations it is also possible to slow down the growth of bacteria and extend the shelf-life of other perishable foods like meat, fish and vegetables.

Tekranoffers the only completely integrated, automated system for measuring mercury speciation in air. The Tekran2537, when coupled to the Model 1130 and Model 1135 provides a continuous record of gaseous elemental mercury, gaseous oxidized mercury and particle-bound mercury. Over the past 12 years, the Tekran2537-1130-1135 system has been the most significant tool used to advance the understanding of the fate and transport of atmospheric mercury. See theExpert’s Cornerfor details about international networks using the TekranAtmospheric Mercury Speciation System.

Weathering of materials is most often an irreversible process affecting the cosmetic properties or strength of materials. This aging process is mainly driven by UV radiation, Heat and reactive elements in the atmosphere, for example chemical contamination. The plastic fabric of the product can dry and therefore weakened. The solar load can overheat the products and change material properties irreversibly. A common method to test the deterioration of materials is to expose materials to sun light and environment. To be able to quantify the aging process, the parameters that affect the aging process must be measured.

The Heating Ventilation and Air-condition (HVAC) market in the Building Automation industry focuses on controlling atmospheric conditions to make them more suitable. Among the conditions controlled by these systems are temperature and humidity. aIST’s thin film platinum and nickel temperature sensors are ideal for heat meter monitoring and control applications in HVAC because of their high resolution and long term accuracy. Additionally, IST’s thin film capacitive humidity sensors are ideal for controlling the relative humidity of an environment due to their rapid response times and accuracy over time. Thermal mass flow sensors also have applications in the HVAC industry as an indicator of duct airflow

Metal casting and heat treatment processes are associated with harmful gaseous emissions into the atmosphere which include substances such as carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, oil vapors and sulfur dioxide.

Temperature is an important factor in streams ecosystems. Heat tracers have been used to characterize contaminant transport, infiltration rates and energy exchange with groundwater, the atmosphere and radiation. The dynamics of these complicated water bodies is also affected by seasonal and diurnal patterns making characterization particularly challenging. Utilizing temperature measurements that capture spatial and temporal variations at stream ecosystem interfaces provides a mechanism for detailed characterization.

The weather can have a major impact on many industrial processes and operations, both from an operational efficiency and/or safety standpoint. For example, real-time information about ambient atmospheric conditions provides the necessary input data required to make the proper decisions during an industrial emergency involving any type of hazardous material. Depending on the plant type, size and age, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as municipal and state environmental regulatory organizations, also require that a number of basic meteorological variables are measured and recorded on site to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.

The Earth is warmed principally by the sun’s radiation which enters the atmosphere. However, not all the radiation penetrates the atmosphere as some is scattered back into space. The amount of back-scattering into space alters the amount of energy that is absorbed into the atmosphere. backscattering of this energy provides valuable information on the change of the earth’s radiation balance and how different activities (artificial and anthropogenic) can affect this delicately balanced system and thus influence global warming

Focuses on low NOx and NOx-related concentrations up to 100 ppm where high resolution is required. Parameters included are NO, NO2, NOx and NOy. Target applications are ambient air monitoring, indoor measurement, clean room measurement and atmospheric research.

More and more food packaging companies are utilizing Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) or Equilibrium Modified Atmosphere Packaging (EMAP) to preserve the shelf life and/or appearance of their packed food. At Environics, we know it is essential that your MAP/EMAP gases be consistent and accurate in order to guarantee the desired quality in the end products.

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